When Grace came to the Customized Employment program at North Shore ConneXions in August 2011, she was thinking that she might like to try office work. During the time we got to know her in a process called "Discovery," we found that Grace had some really excellent customer service skills and a winning personality. Grace was always keen on participating in the program and threw herself into telling us all about herself and showing us her typical week.
When a temporary part-time opportunity at Party Packagers (a party supplies retail store) was negotiated, Grace was open-minded enough to try it out. In her role as a Sales Associate, she demonstrated attention to detail, fast learning and hard work. Grace was motivated and took on her allotted task of scanning and labeling items. Within a few shifts, she was independent on the job. All the staff were welcoming and friendly and she became part of their great team very quickly. She said a quick "Hello" to people she knew whilst she worked. Christina, Manager, Party Packers, was very pleased with Grace's performance. She comments, "I could really feel that Grace was part of the community. People knew her when they came in the store." She adds, "Grace was dependable and hard-working. She was one of my best employees."
When the time came to find another job for Grace, we spoke to the staff at Fabricland. Michelle, the manager was interested in creating a position that focused on re-stocking items and organizing the 'notions' wall. Grace really 'hit the ground running' this time as she put all of her experience from her last position into play. She knew all about how a retail environment worked and the importance of customer service. She was keen on helping out and processing the huge box of threads that came in by putting them in their correct place. Grace says of her current position, "I like putting the threads away and helping the customers." She can be seen in the store concentrating on her work and swiftly moving from main desk to work station as she organizes the stock. She likes everyone at Fabricland and feels part of the team.
